FNU Nasinu Campus will soon have additional 4 storey building with a 350 plus student capacity lecture theatre

The Fiji National University Nasinu Campus will soon have an additional 4 storey building with a 350 plus student capacity lecture theatre.

While officiating at the contract signing of the four‑storey building today, Education Minister Rosy Akbar says that the new complex for the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies will consist of 14 classrooms.

Akbar says that investment in training facilities will provide an efficient and productive workforce.

The Minister says that she is a firm believer of investing in training and facilities, because there will always be a reward with an efficient and productive workforce.

She says this building will provide students with state of the art facilities and access to modern technology as the young minds must be given the same opportunities for access to information as their counterparts around the world and keeping this in mind, the building will be equipped with modern ICT facilities and will have access to free high‑speed wifi for online learning.

Akbar, who is also an alumnus of FNU’s College of Advanced Education in the early 90's, spoke fondly of her time at the College adding that it was important to ensure that students have access to modern facilities and training equipment.

Also present at this ceremony was the Turaga Na Tui Kalabu, Ratu Paula Maiwiriwiri. The high chief was accorded a traditional sevusevu led by the staff of the university seeking his blessing prior to the commencement of the construction work.

FNU’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Nigel Healey says that the new complex is an integrated one stop shop for student services which will provide centralized student academic support enabling easier access to student information and enrolment.

Healey says that this also marks a new phase of the University's development, in which they will be demolishing old wooden buildings which have reached the end of their economic life and making a major investment in new state of the art facilities worthy of a national university in the 21st century.

The building which will be built by Cope Construction Limited is expected to be completed by 2020.

Professor Healey says they will shortly begin construction of a new sports complex, with an indoor basketball court with bleacher seating for tournaments, a large cardiovascular and free weights training area and four flat, multi‑purpose exercise rooms. 

He says this project is part of the University's wider attempt to address the issue of obesity and NCDs in Fiji, by providing high‑quality recreational exercise facilities for students and staff.

Healey says that now they have a ten‑year master plan for each of their major campuses in Suva, Nadi, Lautoka, Ba and Labasa.

He adds that later next year, FNU will begin work on a new Creative Arts Centre, to replace the Raiwai Campus that was damaged in TC Winston.

Healey says that their vision is for a building with a television and radio station, a theatre for the performing arts and spaces for fine art and design, which will provide a cultural heart to the campus and reach out to the community to provide access to affordable theatre, music and film. He says there are also plans for an administration building and a hospitability hub, with training kitchens and restaurant to prepare chefs of the future.